PEJ News Coverage Index: Jan. 18 - 24, 2010, A Disaster and an Election Drive the News

Report Read time:
PEJ News Coverage Index: Jan. 18 - 24, 2010, A Disaster and an Election Drive the News

Two stories combined to account for about half of the last week's overall news coverage, the aftermath of the devastating earthquake in Haiti and the political aftershocks from a Republican Senate victory in Massachusetts.

Filling 27% of the newshole, the situation in Haiti—from chaos on the streets to the expanding U.S. role—was the No. 1 story from January 18-24, according to the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism. It was the leading subject on newspaper front pages (19%), online (30%) and in network television (35%), as measured in PEJ's weekly News Coverage Index, which examines coverage in the most relied on mainstream outlets.

The upset election of Scott Brown—whose January 19 victory was widely seen as dealing a serious blow to health care reform—was the week's second-biggest story, at 21% of the newshole. It topped coverage of the Haiti in cable news (32%) and radio (30%), largely because of the political orientation of the talk shows in those sectors.

But last week, there was a major difference between what was carried on CNN, which does not air ideologically oriented talk shows in prime time, and what aired on MSNBC, with its liberal prime time lineup, and the Fox News Channel, with its conservative hosts. While Haiti made up about 60% of the CNN coverage studied last week, that subject accounted for about one-sixth of time on MSNBC and Fox.

Read the full report A Disaster and an Election Drive the News on the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism.

America’s Overdose Crisis
America’s Overdose Crisis

America’s Overdose Crisis

Sign up for our five-email course explaining the overdose crisis in America, the state of treatment access, and ways to improve care

Sign up
Quick View
America’s Overdose Crisis

America’s Overdose Crisis

Sign up for our five-email course explaining the overdose crisis in America, the state of treatment access, and ways to improve care

Sign up

MORE FROM PEW

Suicide is an Urgent Public Health Problem in America Suicide Is an Urgent Public Health Issue in America
Atlantic bluefin tuna, Mediterranean Sea. Fisheries Management Can Strengthen Compliance
A scuba diver wearing a black full-body wetsuit and a pale-yellow air tank glides through fairly clear, shallow waters above an expansive bed of seagrasses. The diver is holding a thin line that extends toward the surface, and silhouettes of some small fish are visible in the background. How Maps Inform Climate and Conservation Decisions
Three men in baseball caps, visible only from above, are examining dead swordfish—silvery in color and laid out on a concrete floor with their signature swords cut off. There are about a dozen fish on the floor, each about four to five feet long. Japan Poised to Lead on Fisheries Oversight in Pacific
Composite image of modern city network communication concept

Learn the Basics of Broadband from Our Limited Series

Sign up for our four-week email course on Broadband Basics
Quick View

How does broadband internet reach our homes, phones, and tablets? What kind of infrastructure connects us all together? What are the major barriers to broadband access for American communities?